Bath fixture



P. PANHORST BATH FIXTURE Sept. 8, 1925 Filed J l 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheetl Sept. s, 1925. 1,552,501

P. PA NH ORST BATH FIXTURE Filed Ju1y, 2 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lull" manvmtoz 46; P 01 fi 1 47 W n X? 35 170.15 a: 9

Patented Sept. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL PANHORST, O'F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TEST-TITECOM- PANY, A PARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF PAUL PANHORST AND JOHN G.ZOLLEIS, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BATH FIXTURE.

Application filed July 21, 1924. Serial No. 727,239.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL PANHORST, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BathFixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in bath fixtures, and with respect toits more specific features to transmitting mechanism for the dischargeoutlets of the water supply pipes.

In the usual arrangement, bath .fixtures, such as the controlling meansfor the hot and cold water supply and for the waste are on one side ofthe bath room wall, while the supply and waste pipes, and the valvescontrolling them, are on the other side, or within the wall. From thisresults that the discharge outlet pipes for the hot and cold watersupply, and the conduit for the connection between the waste valvecontrolling means and the valve, pass through the wall or a partthereof. Such connections are built into the wall, that is they areplaced before the wall receives its finish of plaster or tile.

As a consequence, the pipes or conduits are solidly held in the wall andif the thickness of the finish, that is theodepth of the plaster ortiling does not correspond with the expectations of the workmen whoplace the pipes, they may extend from the wall too far, or not farenough.

Escutcheons are relied upon to hide the joints between them and the walland the escutcheons are held in place usually by a ring or collarthreaded onto the pipe. If the pipes extend too far from the surface ofthe wall, the escutcheon cannot be drawn close enough to perfectly hidethe joint, and if the pipes do not extend far enough the wall must bedug away for the escutcheon. In either case the joint is unsightly, andthe result is unsatisfactory.

Loosely held pipes, while permitting a degree of adjustment, because ofthe resiliency of the supply pipes, are objectionable for many reasons,among which may be mentioned the relative movement of the pipes withrespect to the wall, due to unequal expansion and contraction. Moreover,when so held adjustment is only possible in one direction. Theescutcheon may be drawn tight, and the resiliency of the supply pipeswill hold it so, but if it is too loose, the loosely held pipes are ofno advantage.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of anarrangement, such that the advantages of the loose connection areretained, without the disadvantages usually attending such conditions.With this object in view, mechanism is provided for supporting the pipesin, the wall free therefrom, and freely movable transversely thereof forpurposes of adjustment, with means to secure them to the wall in adesired position of adjustment, capable of easy release when necessaryand not affected by temperature changes.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and theirrelation one to the other, as hereinafter defined in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof,

which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing the relative arrangement of thefixtures,

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the connection between the waste valve stem andits operating mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in rear elevation of a part of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the wall at the line of the fixtures,

Fig. 6 is a detail in rear elevation of a form of clamp,

Fig. 7 is a similar view of an alternate form,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of Fig. 7

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with thewall 1 of a bath room having the usual tub 2, to which the hot and coldwater supply pipes 3 and 4 deliver, through a mixing pipe 5 having adelivery nozzle 6 within the tub. The supply pipes 3 and 1 are connectedat their up per ends by elbows with a cross pipe 8, and the upper end ofthe pipe 5 is connected with a nipple 9 on the cross pipe, as shown inFig. 2.

A'sindicatedin Fig. 1, the water supply pipes are arranged on theopposite side of the wall 1 from the tub, while the controllingmechanism for the said pipes is on the same side of the wall as the tub,thesaid mechanism including handles 10 connected.

with the stems 11 of the valves, not shown,

which place the pipesf3and 4-in communica-- tion with the cross pipe 8.The valves are of usual construction, arranged within the elbows:7, andoperated by the turning'of the stems to open and close the'valves;

The waste pipe 12 for the tub, ontheopposite side of the wall from the:same, has at its-upper end a valve casing 13,which is connected to thewaste outlet of the tub by a length of pipe 14 A valve 15 controls theflow of the waste water fromthe pipe 14 into the waste-pipe l2', andthis valve'moyesven' tically in the casing 13 before mentioned. Astem'16 is connected with the upper'end of theivalve, and the operatingmechanism for thevalve is connected with thestem, the said mechanismbeing on'the" same side ofthe wall as the'tub, and the handles 10.

A shaft or rod17-is'journalledin an opening. in the wall' 1, and oneend-of theshaft,

.namely that adjacent to the tub, has a han dle, not shown. I-he otherend of the shaft is. provided with acrank arm 18 having a wrist pin 19-at the end remote from the shaft. A- -connecting plate 20 is adjustablyconnected with the upper 'endof the steam 16,;th e' said member havinganangular lug 21-threadedontothe shaft and held in place in adjnstedposition by a locknut 22.

This connecting member,- as shown more particularly in- Figs. 2 4, has aslot 24 extending transversely of the stem 16, in which-the wrist pin 19is received. At the bottom of the slot themember is cut away or notchedas shown at 25, over a width sufficient to receive'the wrist-pin, inorde'r'to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the valvestem; fromthe wrist pin. Referring to Figs. 3 and' 4, it will be noted that theouter end of the wrist pin carries a disk 26, which has a radiallug 27at the'side remote from the shaft L7, and extending radially withrespect to the shaft; The under-side of the lug 21 has a stoplug 28,which is positioned to engage the lug 27, when the crankarm-issubstantially vertical, at which timethe valve 15 is inopen position, asindicated in-Fig; 1. v

The lug' 28' is placed to engage the lug-.27 to check the movement ofthe crank arm 18.

and that of the operating mechanism for the valve, with the valve inopen position and to prevent overthrow by the operating mechanism beyonda position where the valve is fully opened. l/Vith this arrangementthevalve can be opened by turning the shaft 17 in either direction, but theshaft cannot be turned beyond a position where the valve is fully opento again close the valve.

The controlling mechanism for the sup ply pipes 3 and l, and for thewaste pipe 12 of the tub, are on the tub side of the wall, while thepipes themselves are on the opposite side, either entirely beyond thewall,

or between the faces thereof. In the usual- In the' usual practice, the"supply and waste pipes, and the fittings at the tops thereof, that isthe cross pipe. 8 and the el bows 7, with the valves in place are setbefore the finishing coat of the wall isapplied, asfor instance,plaster: or tiling. The joints between the wall and the-stems 11 and 17are covered and concealed by escutcheons 33, which are bell orpetticoatshaped, as shown in Fig. 1. The escutcheons encircle the stems,the large ends thereof abutting the wall surface, while the small end isengaged by a holding nut 34:, threaded onto "the bushing 3001' 32, asthe case may be. Each of these holding nutshas a marginal flange 35which engages outside the small end oftheescutcheon. covering andconcealing the end thereof, and the space between the same and the-stem.The supply andwaste pipes are so placed, and the bushings 30 and32 areof such length, that they will extend beyond the wall a distancesufiicient to permit the placing of the escutcheons, the workman whoplaces the pipes estimating the thickness of the finish of plaster ortile, and arranging the parts accordingly. When the finish isapplied,however, it does not always correspond in depth withthe'expectations of the plumber, and the bushings 30'and- 32 may extendtoo fa-r fromrthe wall, in whichcase theescutcheons cannotbe made toabut} the wall closely, or not far enough, in whichcasethe finish mustbe dug away to permit the placing of the bushing. sightly."

In the present invention, I provide a mounting for those portions of thefixtures In either case the joint is unwhich pierce the wall, such thatthe said portions are free from the wall and freely movable transverselythereof, but may be anchored to the wall when they have been properlyadjusted. The said mounting comprises a plate 86, which may be securedto the rear face of the wall, by means of screws 37, or the like, whichengage slots 38 extending longitudinally of the plate. The plat has abushing or collar 39 at each end, and another collar 40 intermediate itsends, the former collars being for the passage of the housings 32, whilethe latter is for the passage of the bushing 29. The collars areproperly spaced to register with the respective elements they are toreceive and they are of a diameter greater than the elements so that thesaid elements will move freely through the collars. Suitable mechanismis provided for rigidly connecting the housings 3:2 to the respectivecollars, and the said mechanism may be of the character shown in Fig. 6,or of a character shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In Fig. 6 the clampingmechanism comprises a split ring 41 of a diameter to encircle thehousing 32. The ends of the ring have radial lugs 42, which are onopposite sides of a lug 43 integral with the adjacent collar 39. A screwbolt 44 passes through registering openings in the three lugs, and is enaged by a nut 45 at the oppo site side of the lugs from the head of thebolt. By means of the bolt and nut, the split ring may be tightened onthe bushing, and since the ring is anchored to the bushing by the lug48, it will anchor the bushing to the collar.

In the alternate construction shown in Fig. 7, the lug 46 of the collar,correspond ing to lug; 43 of Fig. 6, has a set screw 47 threadedtherethrough, the said screw being adapted to engage the bushing 29, asshown in Fig. 8,, thereby to anchor the bushing .to the collar Referringto Fig. 5, it will be noticed that a shoulder 48 is provided between thebody and the housing 32 and the threaded portion thereof. This shoulderengages the rear face of the plate 36, to limit the movement of thehousing toward the bath room. (in the opposite side of the wall a nut 49is threaded onto the housing, and bears against the wall about theopening through which the collar 40 extends, the collar and the shoulderdetermining the position of the housing 32 with respect to the wall.

In case it should be necessary, for any reason, the supply and wastepipes may be loosened from the plate 36, by loosening the nut 45 or theset screw 47, as the case may be. lVhen the handles 10, which areusually held in place by set screws, as shown in Fig. 1, are removed,and the escutcheons, there is sufficiently resiliency in the pipes 3 and4, to permit the discharge outlets of the said pipes to be entirelydisengaged from the collars 39 and 40. By releasing the unions whichconnect the tops of the pipes 3 and 4, to the valve casing 7 the entireconstruction shown at the top of Fig. 2 may be detached and removed fromthe wall. The waste pipe valve stemmay be also disconnected, merely bylifting the stem to disengage the member 20 from the wrist pin.

In the usual practice when the supply and waste pipes are within thewall, a panel is provided for permitting access to the parts. With apanel of this character, and the present arrangement of connectionbetween the outlets and the wall, the entire construction may be placedafter the wall is finished, and the parts exactly fitted into place.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. In combination with a wall having openings for thepassage of discharge outlets for water supply pipes, a plate havingbushings for each pipe in the corresponding opening, the pipe freelymovable in the bushing, and means rigidly connecting each pipe with thebushing.

2. In combination with a wall having openings for the passage ofdischarge outlets for water supply pipes, a plate having bushings foreach pipe in the corresponding opening, the pipe freely movable in thebushing, and means rigidly connecting each pipe with the bushing, saidplate having means to secure the same to the wall.

3. In combination with a wall having openings for the passage ofdischarge outlets for water supply pipes, a plate having bushings foreach pipe in the corresponding opening, the pipe freely movable in thebushing, means rigidly connecting each pipe with the bushing, said meanscomprising lugs on the bushings, and means in connection with the lugsfor clamping the pipes to the bushings.

4. Mechanism for attaching cross pipes to walls, comprising a plate forattachment to the wall and carrying bushings for the passage of thepipes, and means in connection with the bushings for locking the pipesthereto.

5. In combination, bath fixtures including waste and water supplycontrolling mechanism adapted to extend transversely of a wall, means tosecure the said mechanism to the wall for adjustment transverselythereof, the securing means including a plate having bushings for thecontrolling mechanism, and means in connection with the bushings to locksaid mechanisms to the bushings.

6. In combination, bath fixtures including waste and water supplycontrolling mechanism adapted to extend transversely of a wall, means tosecure the said mechanism to the wall for adjustment transverselythereof, said mechanism including valve stems, and housings for thestems, the securing means engaging the housings and including a platethe bushing for locking the pipe thereto, having .a bushing for eachhousing, and and means for securing the bushing t0 the means inconnection with each bushing to Wall.

lockthe housing thereto. Signed at Philadelphia in the county of 5 7.Mechanism for attaching a cross pipe to Philadelphia and. State ofPennsylvania this a Wall, comprising a bushing through which twelfth dayof July, A. D. 1924. v the pipe vpasses, means in connection with 7 PAULPAN'H'ORST.

